Second Chance
by The Nutty One
Summary: He let cocaine control his life. He'd let it take away the only thing that mattered: Damon Salvatore. And now, by some miracle, Klaus had been given a second chance. And he'd be damned if he was going to let it slide between his fingertips once more. Warnings inside! Slash. Klaus/Damon
1. Chapter 1

**A Second Chance**

**He let cocaine control his life. He'd let it take away the only thing that mattered: Damon Salvatore. And now, by some miracle, Klaus had been given a second chance. And he'd be damned if he was going to let it slide between his fingertips once more. **

_**WARNING! PLEASE READ**_**! Drug use! I don't know anyone who has used drugs, nor have I taken them myself so I don't know the full effects of taking drugs or the recovery periods needed. I've tried to gather information from the internet but I know that everyone's recovery is different. I do hope that the story doesn't offend anyone, and I would like you to remember that this is purely fiction and that I have only the basic knowledge of drugs. **

** If I have in any way, missed something or gone drastically wrong in anyway I would appreciate it if you would correct me in a nice, polite way. Thanks for taking your time to read this! **

** Other warnings include the standard: language, sex, possibly violent scenes, slash (male male pairings) and probably a couple of other things that I can't quite remember.**

** Thank you for reading, please enjoy! xx**

Klaus leaned back lazily and looked at the line of white powder on the table in front of him. It contrasted with the dark mahogany wood and the dim lights that surrounded him. For those few minutes of blissfulness and highs, he had lost everything. It seemed laughable how such a tiny amount of powder, gone in one quick snort, could bring the breakdown of his five year relationship, make him lose his work and his connections with family…

Losing his job hadn't hurt. He'd hated it in the first place; it was never something he'd wanted. Instead, while in that blissful haze, he would paint landscapes and portraits from a happier time. And when the inevitable crash came, the colours would darken as his mood descended and the paintings would take on a gloomy, depressing tone that would haunt him for days after.

The connections with his family hadn't been hard to break. They'd never been particularly close anyway. That was made worse when Elijah was killed in a car crash, only a block away from his apartment. After that, the drugs had become more appealing. Before, Klaus had sworn that he wouldn't take them. But he had. And when that first high had enveloped him in its blissful ignorance, he'd wanted again. So he continued with the drugs. When the high that he had the first time never came, he would carry on, hoping to catch that feeling again. He never caught it. It was a game that he would never win, his goal – that wonderful ignorance – was continuously out of reach.

Even when Damon had left, Klaus had never quite noticed. Their relationship had been good, moving slowly but steadily up until the point of Elijah's accident. Not even Damon's comfort, his warm body on a night could distract Klaus from the aching feeling of losing his older brother. They'd argued when Damon had first seen Klaus snorting the white powder. But eventually, Damon had relented (probably seeing it as Klaus' way of grieving, and secretly hoping that it was a phase. That it would pass with time). It never did.

A year after seeing Klaus first snort the cocaine, Damon had given up. He'd walked from the apartment and hadn't looked back.

Too wrapped up in the drugs, Klaus had never noticed.

When the plummeting crash had come, inevitable as it was, Klaus had looked around the apartment. Damon's thing were still there. He hadn't even taken his clothing. He'd just walked out and never returned. That hurt. That Damon didn't even want to see him again, even if it was to collect clothing and other items. He'd called Damon once his fingers had stopped shaking. It had taken three attempts to call the correct number, only for Damon to hang up on him. Klaus had tried again. Again. Again. Again. Until his fingers were numb from pressing buttons and his eyes ached from staring at the small bright screen. When he'd regained his senses, he'd tried texting. That hadn't worked. He'd even tried Snail Mail by sending letters. They went unanswered. Klaus had even stooped to emotional blackmail, pulling out their photos from happier times and sending them.

They too, had been ignored.

When it was clear Damon wasn't coming back. Klaus had attempted to move his things. When he'd touched the first photo frame, anger had consumed him. That was a side effect – erratic mood swings that were beyond his control. Shattered glass had littered the floor from his actions, broken into pieces the same way the drugs had broken him. He'd cried then. Apologising profusely to the shattered glass that covered Damon's laughing, smiling face. The smile that he grown to love so much, seemed mocking and sarcastic; as if grinning at Klaus's downfall. After that, he'd turned the photo over, allowing Damon's smile to be hidden.

The cocaine had looked too kind that night. The powder was calling out to his body, to ease his sorrow, guilt and remorse. To comfort the pain he was feeling. That night, he blacked out he'd taken so much. Morning rays woke him by stroking his face. Reality of what he had done had dawned on him as the morning grew older. Too exhausted and emotionally drained for tears, he had mechanically cleared away the glass from the previous night.

Since then, there had been no more attempts to clear away Damon's things. In a way, it was a self-inflicted punishment. Damon could torture him by haunting him with his smiles and the portraits that Klaus had drawn by memory. Even his tooth brush entwined itself with Klaus'.

His gaze flickered over to the white powder and the rolled £2O note beside it. Traces of the white powder still clung to the note's surface. It was tempting him. It seemed to call to his body. Fuck it. With a shaking hand, he reached out and grasped the rolled money in one hand. Elbows balancing on his knees, he leaned forward until he was inches away from the powder.

It would ease his guilt.

It would take away his grief at Elijah's death, even for just a moment.

It would allow the wonderful ignorance to take him over and allow him peace.

It would make him forget Damon's haunting smile, if only for a couple of minutes.

But most of all, it would fill the empty aching deep inside his chest.

Closing his eyes, Klaus took the powder through the note. The feelings were slow to kick in, they always were, but five minutes later the familiar high came over him, rendering him powerless to the happier memories that assaulted him.

**Second Chance**

Klaus walked quickly back to the sub way, desperately trying to look inconspicuous. He passed two policemen who gazed at him with unseeing eyes. The way their eyes glanced over him, so quickly, yet seemed so suspicious of him. Klaus flickered his gaze away and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. Paranoia. That was another side effect and it made him worse than ever. Sometimes, he'd sworn that he'd seen Damon's familiar spirit come back to haunt him.

The package seemed to gain heat in the lining of his coat. Klaus thought people were looking at him, their eyes drawn to the bright light that must be emanating from the package of drugs. But no one looked. No one paid any attention to the man with the dirty blonde hair and dull blue eyes. No one paid attention to the scruffy man who half walked and half dragged his body through the sub way. No one saw him. They avoided him.

Just like Damon avoided him.

A loud barking laugh startled him, causing the package to nearly fall from the lining of his coat. He glanced up, his eyes filled with fear that someone may have suspected him. He didn't know why he was scared. Nothing could be worse than living the hell he was in now. As he glanced up, his eyes locked on someone he hadn't seen in months.

Klaus swallowed thickly as tears stung in his eyes. He didn't care when his hands loosened on the packed, though by some miracle it remained hidden in his jacket. A shaking hand moved on its own accord, reaching out for the ghost of a man that seemed so real yet he knew it couldn't be.

Damon had moved away. He hadn't returned calls, messages or letters.

Yet the man was standing ten feet away, laughing his familiar laugh with a younger man. Stefan, Klaus recognised the other man as Damon's brother. Stefan must have stayed in London when Damon had moved away.

He took a few stumbling steps forward, his feet dragging him as if warning him not to go any further. _Let Damon live his life. Let him move on while you condemn yourself to this_, a voice in his head whispered. But he shook his head. Klaus couldn't let Damon go, not without getting some sort of true rejection.

As if sensing his desperation, people moved out of his way. A woman with a pram hurried past him, pulling her toddler closer to her and clutching her handbag with white knuckles. A man, in his late fifties, looked torn between moving out of his and choosing to helping him. Did he really look that bad? Klaus felt it, he felt as if his legs would give way in weakness and if his brain was foggy, and for once it was real and no induced by a drug state.

A noise, or something to draw attention to him, must have left his mouth for Stefan glanced up from his conversation and looked Klaus' way. When their eyes locked, a look of recognition, followed quickly by shock flashed through Stefan's eyes. He thought he saw the younger man choke slightly and stagger. Stefan reached out to grasp Damon's bicep and attempt (or it looked like it) to steer him in the opposite direction, away from Klaus. Sensing this, Damon looked back fleetingly.

It looked as though Damon hadn't seen him, and Klaus sagged against the nearby wall. He couldn't even gain Damon's definite rejection, to prove to his own messed up mind that it was truly over. But Damon did a double take. He looked back again, pulling his arm roughly out of Stefan's grip.

Klaus felt rather than saw the way Damon's eyes raked over his body with a mixture of shock, grief and pity. When their eyes finally met, Damon's hands clenched into fists and Klaus thought he saw the other man fighting back the sting of tears. Again he reached a shaking hand out, as if he could steady the man he hadn't seen for months. The glare Stefan gave him went ignored. It was a moment between the two of them. People passed them and still their gaze wasn't broken. Stefan's insistent tugging went ignored until Damon finally pushed him away with a single broken look.

The moment was broken when Klaus took a single step forward. He saw a single tear roll from Damon's eye and it hurt him more than anything physical ever could.

As if he couldn't bear to see him for another moment, Damon turned away harshly and strode away. Seconds later, the two brothers were swallowed by the sea of people.

**Second Chance**

Klaus watched as Caroline took a seat on the aged couch, discreetly sitting to the side of the long tear that marred the middle seat. He never said anything, let her think that he hadn't seen her look of dismay when she'd seen the fresh package of drugs. She looked around the apartment as she did every time she visited and every time she visited, she never mentioned the way Damon's things still seemed to cling to the surface they were on. One time she had picked up a photo, and Klaus had seen the dust mark it had left behind. He couldn't bear to move Damon's things, even if it was only to clean the surface beneath them.

"I saw h-him," Klaus began and his voice was rough. He reached over for the nearby glass of water to ease the aching in his throat. Caroline didn't comment on the break in his voice, just looked back at him with her lovely dark eyes that were covered by the blonde curls of her hair. "In the sub way."

Caroline nodded, and looked over his body. As always, she never commented on him. She never said anything related to the drugs he took or their side effects on his home life or his body. "What are you going to do about it? If he's in the area?"

He shrugged and moved his hand so he could pick at the frayed edge of his sleeve. "He wouldn't answer my calls before. I still call him once a week. What use is there to try again, just because I've seen him?"

She nodded slowly. A moment of silence swept into the room before Caroline broke it again. "His reaction to you?"

"Pity. Shock. Grief. The usual reactions that I get from others who knew me beforehand. He cried and he turned away. I never saw him after that."

"Don't you think that's a sign?" Caroline edged carefully. She'd leant forward, her kind eyes boring into Klaus'.

"For what?"

"For you to stop," Caroline clarified and she held up a hand to stop his protests. "You saw his reaction to seeing you this way. He hated seeing you like this. You hate seeing yourself like this and you hated seeing his reaction. Isn't that incentive enough?"

Klaus shook his head violently. Again he reached for the glass of water. As he drank, his eyes flickered back to the open package on the table. He'd had his last fix yesterday night. It was morning now. Soon, he would need it. "I can't just stop, not like that," he said and he hated the words as he spoke them. "I can't."

"Why?"

"I'm addicted." He chuckled but it lacked humour. It was a dry choking sound, barely a laugh at all. "You don't know what it's like. I'll do anything to get another fix…"

"Yet you've admitted that you don't feel the need as badly when you're with someone, when you're me. You said that I distract you… that I stop you from needing it so badly because it gives you something else to focus on, another diversion to the pain you feel." Klaus met her eyes once again. In a way he regretted telling her that, but at the minute he couldn't find that regret. She'd found his weak link and exploited it. When he nodded, Caroline beamed. "See? You can move in with me! That way it will get you out of this apartment that holds all these memories. It will get you away from the drug dealers, so it will be harder to get the cocaine. You can restart your life over..." She swallowed nervously and chanced a glance a one of Klaus' favourite photos of Damon. "It can get you away from his haunting ghost. You don't need to see him anymore. A fresh start, imagine that? And then you can call him when you're better. Damon will listen to you then."

Klaus nodded weakly but inside he was determined. He could do this. He had Caroline, his best friend for the past eight years backing him. She was giving him the chance to move away, to restart his life. "Give me an hour to pack then."

Caroline shook her head. "No. Everything goes. New life, new everything. Even new shoes." She pointed to the battered tennis pumps on his feet. He couldn't help the small smirk that graced his lips. She would do anything for a shopping trip.

"Give me ten minutes to say goodbye to the place?"

Caroline nodded and, as if she sensed his need for privacy, stood and began to walk to the door. But she turned around again and grabbed the package of drugs and threw a smile over her shoulder. "This begins now, Klaus. We're in it together."

He silently agreed with her as she turned to leave. Instead of saying goodbye to the apartment, he sat in silence. The walls around him suddenly seemed less dismal. The weak light that filtered through filthy curtains suddenly strengthen. The weak, naked bulb that lit the room stopped flickering and grew in its certainty to light the room.

Standing, Klaus reached over to grab the photo of Damon he loved the most. They'd been at one of Damon's work meetings – one of the fancy ones that neither of them cared much for – and Klaus had attempted to catch a picture of him. When Damon had caught him, he'd simply raised an eyebrow as he took a sip of his champagne. The smirk Klaus loved so much was on his lips and he'd captured the moment perfectly.

A quick glance towards the door told him that Caroline wasn't there. She must be waiting at her car for him. He slid the photo into the lining of his jacket, where it replaced the drug package that was usually stored there. Another heat, not one of suspicion filtered through his body. This was a new start. And he'd be damned if he'd give it up the same way he'd given Damon up.

The smirk on his face grew as he reached forward and ran his hand over the dust mark left by the photo. With a swipe of his hand, the dust flew up, removing any traces of the photos past position. Past. That was where all of this belonged.

**Second Chance**

_First Day_

Caroline had forced him to flush the drugs, packet by packet, down the toilet. At first he couldn't bring himself to push the lever that would send the nightmarish substance miles from his sight. So Caroline had helped him. She hadn't forced him, instead holding his hand and guiding him until he held the cool lever. Klaus had looked away when he finally drew up the courage to press the lever down.

The sound of the toilet choking down the packages had given him an intense feeling of glee. This was it. He was moving on. And he could do it. Packet by packet, they had force-fed the toilet.

Once they'd finished the entire package, Caroline had squealed and hugged him, her thin arms wrapping around his body frame easily. It was the first real warmth he'd felt since Damon had left. Awkwardly, he'd given her the hug back until he had clung to her, his tears soaking her navy blue t-shirt.

As they pulled away from each other, Caroline had laughed and Klaus had joined in. The feeling of being free from the constraints of the drugs felt good.

Until the cravings settled in.

It had begun at first with a slight annoying need that pulsed through his blood stream. It seemed to itch beneath his skin but no matter how much he scratched, the feeling wouldn't go. To stop himself, he clenched his fists and punched Caroline's leather couch. When she saw this, Caroline had laughed and walked over, setting a glass of water in his hand. "Focus on that," she had said. He gave her a bizarre look that clearly said she was "off her rocker." Caroline smiled at him again and shook her head. "Focus on not spilling the water. It'll take your mind off it, and its ice cold. So if you spill it, it'll give you the shock of your life."

Surprisingly, it had helped.

As the hours progressed, the water had warmed up. Caroline had noticed this and changed the water. After this, she had shown Klaus to the spare bedroom. She pointed out the freshly stocked shelves in the bathroom and when Klaus had raised an eyebrow she had shrugged. "They were the stuff Tyler left before he ran off with that Hayley bitch. Figured you could use them until I could buy you new stuff." He'd thanked her and she'd smiled, a wide one that showed two rows of pearly white teeth.

As she turned to shut the bedroom door, she'd exclaimed loudly; "remember, we can do this!"

**Second Chance**

Quickly, Klaus had found that he was experiencing more fatigue than he ever had before. Not that he minded much. The more he slept, the less of the other cravings he felt. On the second day, Caroline had barged into his room when he hadn't woken, only to find him till curled beneath the covers. Klaus only knew this because Caroline had teased him without mercy for the next hour.

When had risen that morning, he had groaned and held his head. It felt as if he had a marching band parading around his brain. The headache was worse than anything he'd had before. In the end, he'd stumbled into the living room, one hand threaded through his dirty blonde hair. Not noticing Caroline stood in the doorway, he had allowed his gaze to flicker towards the bathroom where they had flushed the cocaine.

She coughed loudly, causing Klaus to flinch but she hadn't responded. Instead she walked through to the kitchen, only to return with a packet of paracetamol. With a quick motion, she had thrown them at him and gesture to the glass of water on the table. "They help with my period pains, so they'll help with your headache."

Klaus gestured a quick thank you, not wanting to make any sound less it make the pounding in his head worse. He took the tablets and looked at her when the effects didn't come within five minutes. He was way too used to things working immediately…

"Give them half an hour and you'll thank me." She said as she came through with two bowls of cereal. "Eat something, it will distract you a bit." Caroline took the seat beside him, careful not to jostle the couch too much. They ate in silence as Caroline listened to the weatherman. "I've got something that I want to show you. It might help you with the distractions."

They stood and Caroline led him down a short corridor, stopping at a white door that looked the same as all the others. She pushed it open and it squeaked in protest. Caroline stepped back so Klaus could have a better view of the room. Inside was a running machine, a punching bag and a pile of weights in one corner. In the opposite corner there was a large sound system connected to the speakers in all corners of the room. "A gym, it used to be Tyler's." She shrugged and glanced away from the equipment. "Never had the heart to move it." For a brief moment, Klaus thought back to his old apartment with all of Damon's things. He pushed the thought away before he could dwell on it. Instead he focussed on Caroline's words. "I somehow deluded myself into thinking I was going to beef up and gain a six pack and broad shoulders or something." She chuckled. "But it's yours now, use it as you see fit."

**Second Chance**

Klaus rolled over in bed, blocking the sunlight from his eyes with one hand. Groaning, he shifted until he was looking at the photo of Damon that he had taken from his apartment. On the first day, it had made tears prickle in his eyes. But now, he smiled at the photo and allowed his fingers to ghost over the glass in the frame. Determination thundered through him, even on the mornings when his headache made him want to roll over and die.

He could do this. "For Sparta!" as Caroline had shouted the other day when she had encouraged him while he had taken his frustration out on the punching bag. Even if Damon still didn't want to be with him, Klaus could prove to him that he was a changed man. "Morning, Damon," he said in the same way he had always done. "I'm gonna do this," he repeated the words he said every morning. "I can do this. For you and for Caroline.

**Second Chance**

The third week, for some reason, seemed the hardest. Klaus had snapped at Caroline many times, only to apologise profusely afterwards. She never lost her temper though, instead she took everything in her stride, nodded and left him to calm down on his own. The agitation seemed the worst this week, and Klaus had often sought out the glass of freezing water so he could use the same trick Caroline had shown him.

That had worked some times. When it hadn't, he'd moved onto the punching bag in the gym. He'd gone through two in the past week as he worked out his frustration. In those times, Caroline knew better than to interrupt him. She said she always knew because the music would shake the house with its loudness. When he turned the music off and came into the kitchen for food or water (his increased appetite was thankfully causing him to gain weight, which Caroline had advised him to do weights after she noticed. She had said that she didn't want a 'couch potato in her house, it would scare away future boyfriends) Caroline would smirk and says "you all better now, Hulk?"

When he wasn't working the punching bag to its death, or lifting weights, Klaus would lay on the couch or on his bed. The tiredness still made his muscles ache and his mood often became lowered till the point that Caroline had begun to question him worriedly. His movements had become slower and it had become a challenge to put one foot in front of the other. As a consequence, he slept more.

A ray of hope had been shone of them both though, when Caroline had searched the internet for with drawl symptoms. Apparently a lot of Klaus' matched those. "We're getting there!" he said, more to himself in disbelief than to Caroline. He'd looked at her and they'd grinned. Turning back to the computer, Klaus watched as Caroline's eyebrows rose and her smiled widened. "You've never guessed what I've just found?" She gave him no time to answer her. "You've gotten through the worst stage! Don't get me wrong, you're not cured totally… But you're past the worse!"

_**Second Chance**_

They had thrown a party – just the two of them – when Klaus had reached the three month mark. They had drunk Bourbon, and in Caroline's case, Malibu and Coke. Hours had passed by with the two of them dancing to music they would never listen to while sober. The cheap £10 disco lights that Caroline had bought broke half way through but they didn't notice. Chairs had been pulled out and upturned while they sung karaoke into wooden spoons.

Life had been good.

**Second Chance**

"I saw Damon the other day," Caroline said slowly as she scooped cereal onto her spoon. The spoon hovered inches away from the bowl as she waited for Klaus' reply. When he shrugged his shoulders, Caroline sighed in exasperation. "You're meant to say something! Anyways, I got talking to him and I mentioned you-"

Klaus rolled his eyes. He knew this would happen. "Why? He doesn't want anything to do with me."

"He wants to meet up with you, next week in the café just around the block. Thursday, at 11 o'clock."

The spoon in his hand froze mid-air and stray droplets of milk fell from the spoon and splashed back into his bowl. His blue eyes (now sparkling instead of the dim light that had been there months before) locked with Caroline's. Klaus found that he daren't move, not wishing to shatter this moment of peace and wonder. If he moved, would it all prove to be a dream? "You're joking?" he choked out, placing the spoon and uneaten cereal back in the bowl.

"Do I look the type to joke? In fact, don't answer that." She threw her head back and laughed. "Seriously though, if you're meeting him – which you are – we're gonna have to go shopping, get you a haircut and make you look like a walking orgasm."

**Hey up! Hope you all enjoyed the story! It has been sitting on my computer for a few months now haha. It should only be a two/ three shot, perhaps four depending on how it goes but I can't tell for certain. Again, if I got anything wrong with the drugs/drug recovery I would appreciate it if you would correct me in a polite manner. **

** Thank you, I hope you enjoyed reading this and I hope you review! Thank you! :D xx**


	2. Chapter 2

_Thursday, 10:30am _

Klaus had taken the corner booth, shielding him from the stare of others. The lighting was dim here, hopefully it would calm his nerves if he didn't feel as though he was on show. He'd picked the corner booth for privacy; he didn't know how this conversation would go.

He crossed his legs at the ankles underneath the table. Uncrossed them, and crossed them again. He checked his watch and groaned when he saw that he still had half an hour to wait. Damn Caroline and her insistence that he be there so early! He cupped the cappuccino in both hands to steady his shaking hands – shaking due to nerves. Moments, later, he moved again and ran his hands through his freshly cut blonde hair. Caroline had taken him to the barber's yesterday and had shown them the style that he wanted. Klaus hadn't got a say. Not that he had much to say. He couldn't remember the last time he had had a haircut… After that, they had gone shopping and Caroline had helped him pick out the light grey sweater and jeans that showed off his newly muscular physique. When they had got back to Caroline's house, they had built a bonfire in the back garden of Klaus' old clothing and memories as well as Tyler's things and anything else Caroline needed to burn – which meant a random decking chair too.

A tinkling sound from the small gold bell above the café door startled Klaus. Cappuccino spilt over the sides of his mug and he hastily reached for a napkin to wipe up the mess. Looking up, he locked eyes with none other than Damon Salvatore.

Blue eyes looked back at him with a mixture of disbelief and surprise. He saw Damon's eyes roam appreciatively over his body with – dare he say it? – desire? While Damon looked him up and down, Klaus was doing the same to Damon, noting all the changes that had occurred. Where Damon had once had light stubble, he was clean shaven. He had cut his hair shorter to keep with the styles, gelling it into a messy style that screamed "fuck me." Like Klaus, Damon had also filled out more and his shoulders were broader (shown expertly by the black shirt he was wearing) and it clung nicely to his muscles.

"Klaus," Damon said as he took the seat opposite him. Klaus watched as Damon's tongue darted out to wet his lips. "It's been a long time," he began awkwardly though he met Klaus's eyes. That had to be a good sign, right?

Klaus shrugged. "Bit of an understatement," he said slowly. He pushed the second mug towards Damon. "Latte, your favourite. Unless your tastes have changed?"

A light blush stole across Damon's cheeks as he nodded his thanks. Strands of unruly black hair fell into his eyes. "Yeah, I'm way too predictable with stuff like this." They both chuckled until Damon swallowed again. He was nervous. Damon's hands clutched the coffee mug in a similar fashion as Klaus' had earlier on. "You look well?"

It seemed more of a question than a fact.

He nodded and took a sip of his cappuccino. Wiping away the foam from his lip (and noting how Damon's eyes followed his thumb) he finally spoke. "Yeah, I went through a rough stage." He didn't delve any deeper. Not just yet. Not when he – or should he say Caroline – had only just managed to get Damon to speak to him. "But thanks to Caroline, I'm up and running again. I don't know what I'd have done without her…" he trailed off and for some reason added, "I've been clean for six months now." Maybe it was to impress him, Klaus didn't know.

There was a silence, neither awkward but not entirely comfortable as Damon drank his latte. "Congratulations," Damon murmured. There was a slight crack in his voice and he looked at Klaus with a small, sad smile. "Sorry, about what happened in the sub way," Damon spoke awkwardly. From experience, Klaus knew he wasn't used to apologising. Neither were. They usually just forgot about it, and fucked it out or drunk their sorrows away. Sometimes both. "I just got, you know… The shock and all…" he trailed off.

"You don't have to explain," Klaus murmured softly. Damon shot him a grateful look. "Most people look at me that way."

"Did," Damon added. "You're not that person now."

That warmed Klaus. The way Damon had said it, with such conviction, proved to himself – more than what anything else had – that he could do this. He would do this. Klaus glanced quickly out of the window and when he looked back, he saw Damon studying him intently. He raised an eyebrow and smirked when a slight flush raised on Damon's cheeks. Maybe there was a chance? "So what have you been doing since? Since, you know…" _Since you left_, Klaus nearly added.

"Oh you know, stuff. Still in the Police. I got a promotion a month ago to Chief Inspector, except the dude above me is a right dickhead." They both laughed and found that they leaned closer together. The dim light around them made it seem a thought it was only them. The faint hum of the coffee machines faded into the background. "You know, this might seem forward." Damon licked his lips and instead of looking at Klaus, looked at the rim of his latte mug. "I…I," he stumbled over the words. This was so unlike Damon that Klaus found that he had to blink to make sure the other man hadn't been replaced. "I can't stop thinking about you. I tried to move on, but I couldn't. Tried a one night stand – it didn't feel right. It wasn't you." Seconds passed by in silence and Damon chewed his bottom lip (a habit Klaus thought was cute and one he remembered from when they were both still together). When neither said anything, Damon stood abruptly while shaking his head. "I've been too forward. I know I have. I always say the wrong thing." The words came out hastily and mumbled. "I should go," he said finally.

Damon's words snapped Klaus out of his daze. His hand shot out and his fingers circled Damon's wrists. "Don't go." He tried to distract himself from the heat of Damon's skin beneath his arm. There was a tingling from a warmth he hadn't felt in months. A real warmth. Not the pretence that the cocaine had given him. "It's fine, Damon. Really. I don't mind. I was hoping you'd say something like that."

In reply he got a sceptical look and a raised eyebrow. "Really?"

Klaus nodded and relaxed as Damon sat down once again. "Yeah. I've been the same. Well," he swallowed and glanced down at his cappuccino. "After I came off the drugs. During that…stint…I didn't feel much… But after." He paused for a moment. "I guess what I'm trying to say is I did for you and Caroline. After seeing your reaction at the sub way it gave me a kick up the arse…"

They both took a sip of their coffees, each of them studying the other over the rim of their mug. Damon lowered his first and Klaus watched as he licked the remaining coffee from his lips. "Then what do we do from here?"

**Second Chance**

Klaus pressed the other man's body against the door to Damon's apartment. One hand rested possessively on Damon's hip – tugging relentlessly at the other's black shirt. Damon's mouth felt both new and familiar: rough and demanding yet clumsy with desire. With his other hand, Klaus fumbled with the lock on Damon's apartment before sliding the key card into place. As soon as the small click sounded, Klaus pushed the door open with his foot.

They both stumbled through the door, neither noticing that they had slammed the door shut. All that mattered was each other's body, becoming reacquainted with the others body. As Klaus began to kiss down Damon's neck, he unbuttoned the other man's black shirt at the same time. "God, I've missed this," Klaus murmured over Damon's skin. Cool air met his own skin as Damon removed his shirt with nimble fingers.

No reply came from Damon other than a short moan as he pulled Klaus through his apartment towards the bedroom. If Klaus had cared to look, he would have seen that Damon's room hadn't changed one bit. And that there was still a photo of them both on Damon's bedside drawer.

They fell back on the bed – Damon beneath Klaus. Hands roamed each other's skin, desperate to map out new contours of muscles and relearn the bodies that neither had forgotten. There was a clank as Damon unbuckled Klaus's belt and pulled it free. It dropped to the floor out of sight. Klaus unzipped Damon's jeans hurriedly, wishing to expose as much of the other man as possible. His jeans slipped down easily from Damon's slim hips, exposing his already semi-erect cock. No underwear. Klaus raised an eyebrow at Damon, causing the other to shrug his shoulders. "Easy access," Damon said and raised his hips in a suggestive manner. "Convenient too," he added though the words were marred by a moan as Klaus took his cock into his mouth.

It was too easy to make Damon's cock erect. Despite the time that had separated them, Klaus knew it like he knew the back of his hand. A flick of the tongue on the tip of Damon's cock before taking the head into his mouth. Holding Damon's hips down with two hands that would leave bruises in the morning. Hum around his cock and that would make Damon gasp. Trail a tongue across the sensitive underside of Damon's cock and the other would whimper. Take in another inch and swallow and Damon would moan loudly and attempt to buck his hips. Half way through of this Damon's hands would come to rest in Klaus' hair, his fingers curling whenever the other did something spectacular.

Coupling all this things together brought Damon close to the brink, only for Klaus to pull back. A sharp whine from Damon made Klaus chuckle. Legs came up to wrap around Klaus' waist and a sharp tug made him fall forward. He braced himself by placing his hands on either side of Damon's body and capturing the other man's lips in a kiss.

Klaus rolled his hips, his straining erection brushing against Damon's. A whisper of his name fell from Damon's lips as a Klaus murmured Damon's. "You're gorgeous, love," Klaus murmured into Damon's ear, feeling the shiver that ran through the others mind. His hands skimmed down Damon's body, pausing to ghost over the others nipples.

"You're not so bad yourself," Damon smirked. He moved beneath Klaus so he could reach into the bedside drawers. He came back with a bottle of lube and a condom. "But we are talking way too much." He pressed both items into Klaus' hands. "It's been a while, and I want you now. Enough with the fucking teasing."

He took his time preparing Damon – making sure that he was incoherent with pleasure before Klaus took his own. If his body hadn't been aching with his own need, he could have pleasured Damon all night; just to be able to hear those small moans and gasps for longer.

When he slipped inside Damon, both groaned in unison. Damon's eyes rolled back in pleasure and his hips bucked eagerly. For a moment, Klaus stilled as the tightness of Damon's heat attempted to overwhelm him. Beneath him, Damon was splayed out with his legs thrown lazily around Klaus' waist. When Klaus began to move, Damon whimpered and raised his hands to grip Klaus' biceps. They moved together, each in synchronisation with the other. There was no rushing or pain, just the two of them floating on a sea of ecstasy.

Somewhere among their passion, Damon's hands are drifted to seek Klaus. When their hands touched, their eyes met and Damon raised himself up slightly so he could press his lips to Klaus, effectively stealing Klaus' moans of pleasure. The pleasure of everything, most of all being back with Damon, was becoming too much for Klaus so he reached between their bodies and grasped Damon's cock in his hand. He stroked his hand up and down in time to his thrusts. Soon Damon was a quivering mess beneath him, his pleasure evident on his face.

With a sharp gasp, Damon climaxed, his hips bucking up to meet Klaus'. Seeing Damon's climax crash over him was Klaus' undoing. His movements became less fluid and more erratic. He shut his eye as he saw stars and only became aware of his surrounding again when Damon chuckled.

"I miss your orgasm face. It's the hottest thing on this planet. After me of course."

**Second Chance**

When Klaus woke the next morning, the sun was shining through the open curtains and his arm was draped over the warm body beside him. A small smile graced his lips as he remembered the previous night's events. But more than that, he'd gotten Damon. Somehow, he'd actually gotten Damon…

He pushed himself up onto one elbow and looked over at Damon's sleeping form. Damon's raven coloured hair was messed up and standing up at all angles and his beautiful blue eyes were hidden. As Klaus had moved, Damon had grumbled and one hand had reached out to grasp at the bed sheets before giving up a few moments later and stilling. But seconds after that, Damon rolled onto his back – eyes still closed – and allowed the sun to strike across his face in glorious bright lights that caressed his skin. With a flutter of eyelids, blue eyes stared back at Klaus lazily. "Are you watching me? I know I belong next to the Mona Lisa but come on."

"The Mona Lisa pales beside you, love," Klaus said softly. He lay down beside Damon and pulled the other closer to him. For some reason, Damon suddenly stiffened beside him. "What's wrong?"

Biting his lip, Damon averted Klaus' gaze. "Last night…" he began and Klaus froze too. If Damon regretted it, or worse, sent him away then it would… It would destroy him.

"You don't regret it, do you?"

"No! No!" Damon said quickly, his eyes locking with Klaus'. "I don't regret it: it was everything I needed, and it was with you. How could I regret that?" Damon joked but neither laughed. "I just want to take it slowly, that's all. After what happened last time," Damon swallowed but Klaus didn't react. He only pulled Damon closer. He couldn't blame Damon for being cautious. "I don't want to get attached, if anything like that happens again. I can't go through that again."

"Then it's a good job it won't happen again."

**Second Chance**

"So how did your meeting with Damon go?" Caroline asked as she stood by the kitchen counter making two cups of tea. "I noticed you never came home." She didn't turn around but Klaus could almost hear her smirk in her voice.

"It went well," Klaus said, not giving anything away. "We talked and drank cappuccino – well, Damon had a latte."

"He still drinks latte? Damon hasn't changed one bit has he? And hang on! You're living under my roof, I want more details!" She spun around suddenly, knocking over the milk carton. She didn't seem to care, instead fixing her stare on Klaus. "What happened? I want every detail! Let's admit it, gay sex is as hot as fuck. I wish I had a cock sometimes…"

Klaus shook his head in disbelief. "I never thought I'd hear you say that."

"Stop trying to change subject."

"Ok, we played frustration."

"More like stared at each other with the sexual frustration building within the room until you fucked each other like rabbits." Caroline deadpanned. Grabbing the kitchen roll, she began to mop up the spilt milk. Klaus moved over to help her but she glared at him. "Do not come near me until you tell me details. I am a sexually frustrated woman who hasn't had any male touch – not even holding hands! – since Tyler left. So give me masturbation material!"

**Second Chance**

Klaus watched Damon take a slow drink of his bourbon. Seeing Klaus watch, Damon raised an eyebrow and it reminded Klaus of the picture that he'd kept from his old apartment. They had gone to the local pub for a few quiet drinks to get to know each other but had gotten distracted when they had seen the pool table.

Instantly they had placed down three one pound coins. Three rounds. The best of the three. The first one to twin two rounds would be the victor. And it would give Klaus a chance to subtly check out Damon's body while he took a shot. So far the night had gone well. They had spoken about what they had done in the past week and Klaus had told Damon about the conversation he had had with Caroline about "gay sex being as hot as fuck." To which Damon had laughed and stated that "Stefan would strongly disagree." He also told Damon (quite proudly) that he had now gotten himself a small job. Something part time that helped to keep his mind occupied.

"Your turn," Damon said as he placed his bourbon glass on to the nearest table.

As Klaus leaned over to take his shot, he felt rather than saw Damon's eyes on his body. When he turned around, Damon did nothing but smirk his trademark smirk that Klaus had continued to love even when he was deprived of it. "Do you like what you see, love?"

"How could I not? Do I honestly look like someone who would go for another who was anything less than my equal? In looks and other departments." Damon winked and both were lost in each other. When Klaus sunk to pool balls neither commented and instead lay their cues down and walked from the table.

Damon had won both games. But Klaus knew he'd won the most. He'd won the best thing of all. Damon. And for that, he'd lose as many games of pool as he needed to.

**Second Chance**

Two months passed by of drinking bourbon, lost pool games and tentative touches but never pushing Damon's boundaries. Damon would be the one to make the first move. But now it was time to introduce him back to Caroline. Well, Caroline had been the one to organise the meeting. And she'd also invited Stefan too, which would be fun considering that Stefan hated his guts for what he had put Damon though. When Klaus had told Caroline this, she'd simply said "suck it up. And I don't mean Damon either."

When the doorbell had rung, Klaus had been startled. Caroline rolled her eyes at his actions and stood from the couch to answer the door. While she was gone, Klaus glanced around the room. Everything was the same as usual but the table was covered with tiny samples of food on cocktail sticks and harlequin designs of fruits. Of course that was all Caroline's doing. If it had been up to Klaus they would have all been eating bacon sandwiches. The scent of roast beef wafted through the living room from where the kitchen door was left ajar –

"Klaus, I didn't expect to see you here." Stefan's voice brought his out of his reverie. Stefan stood in the door way to the living room, hesitating and unsure of himself. Down the hall, Klaus could hear Damon and Caroline speaking in hushed tones.

He shrugged and motioned for Stefan to take a seat on the opposite couch. "Don't stand there, you're blocking the path. Caroline helped get me back on my feet. Now I'm just another piece of furniture that she refuses to let go of." Klaus did a once over of Stefan to see what had changed. Nothing had. Still the same hair. Still the same brand of hair gel by the looks of it. Still the same style of clothing. Still the constant brooding look of frustration on his face. Still the same boring, mundane vegetarian Stefan.

Stefan nodded at his words. "Well it's good to see you back on your feet." Stefan's voice was strained as if he thought it was anything but good. "Damon seems to enjoy your…company." Stefan hesitated over the word company; showing once again his lack of trust and obvious dislike of Klaus. And more subtly, his slight refusal to accept Damon's choice of lifestyle and sexuality. From the first moment Klaus had met Stefan, the other man had begun to preach about "animal rights" and how it wasn't fair to eat him. To which Klaus had replied – and he still smirked at the thought – "You eat what my food shits on. End of story." And Stefan had only reluctantly accepted Damon's sexuality after he had split from Klaus.

"I know, I like to see him on his feet too. But I like to see him on his knees even better." Damon said casually as he walked into the living room. He took one of the cocktail bites and ate it slowly before flopping down on the couch beside Klaus. Damon leaned into him and Klaus wrapped an arm around his shoulders and smirked at Stefan. He would goad the other. It would be fun. Even more so if Damon joined in.

Damon chuckled when he saw Stefan's jaw tighten. When Caroline joined them she sat down beside Stefan. "The roast beef will be ready in about half an hour." She stated. Out of her eye corner she must have seen Stefan grimace. "Don't worry, Klaus told me of you fussy eater ways! I got some veggie stuff in because I can't cook it myself." She laughed as Stefan shot Klaus a grateful look. Maybe they could get along well?

"Thanks," Stefan said quietly and for the first time Klaus saw them look at each other. There was an obvious twinkle in Caroline's eyes and he caught the way her eyes drifted to Stefan's lips. Definitely interested. And it looked as though it was returned. Stefan had that same look in his eyes (a mischievous look) that Damon had when something caught his attention. "So, how did you and Klaus meet?"

And that was how the remainder of the evening passed. Small chat between the entire group but then Damon would smirk and nudge Klaus, only to nod in Stefan and Caroline's direction. Their conversation had deepened, they'd leaned into each other and they only had eyes for each other. "Do you think we should cut the beef up?" Klaus murmured. When Damon nodded, they left for the kitchen to give Stefan and Caroline some privacy.

"I never thought of Stefan and Caroline together," Damon said as they shut the door.

"Me neither, I always thought Stefan was too serious for her." He quickly added. "No offence to Stefan."

"None taken." Damon laughed and moved to get a knife from the drawer. "He seriously does need someone he can have a laugh with."

**Second Chance**

It was a year later, of taking it slow, that it all went wrong.

The morning had started out fine. In fact, more than fine. The night before, Klaus had chosen to stay over at Damon's apartment. And that morning he had been woken up with one of the best blow jobs of his life. Klaus had cooked a traditional English breakfast while Damon had played _Angry Birds_ on his iPod. They had eaten in relative silence, as they always did. Neither felt any need to fill every silence with mindless chatter. When they had finished Damon had said it was his turn to do the washing up. He'd set the tap running and added Fairy liquid when his mobile had started ringing.

After drying his hands on a nearby table, Damon had answered the phone. He'd grown serious after answering "Hey, Sheriff Forbes." Klaus had watched as a look of concentration and concern had flitted across Damon's face. He'd tried to mouth '_what's wrong?_' but Damon either didn't see it or had chosen to ignore him. Five minutes had passed before Damon repeated an address and hung up.

Before Klaus could ask what was wrong, Damon beat him to it. "Sorry, I'd love to stay but I've got a call from work. An armed robbery apparently." The words trailed after him as Damon went through to their bedroom, presumably to get changed into his work clothes. "I should be back for tea, so just leave the washing up. I'll do it when I get back."

Klaus had nodded, wished him good luck and moments later Damon was gone and out the door. For the next few hours Klaus had continued Damon's game of _Angry Birds_ and when he had gotten bored of that, he'd driven to Caroline's. While there they drank strong liquor and Caroline bitched about how Tyler had tried to get into contact with her. She had asked how Damon was, and it was during that conversation that Klaus had gotten _that _phone call.

It was number he didn't recognise. "Hello? It's Klaus Mikaelson speaking."

"Hello, it's Sheriff Forbes." Hearing her voice made Klaus' blood chill. For the police to call…it meant only one thing. "I'm sorry but Damon is in a critical condition. Can you make it to the hospital?"

He'd hung up after that. He hadn't even bothered to reply to her. In seconds Klaus had sobered up, the previous drinking doing nothing to numb the panic that was consuming him.

"Klaus? You've gone white. What's happened?"

"Caroline, can you drive me to the hospital?"

She hadn't questioned him after that.

**Hey up! Glad you all liked the first chapter! I'd love to know more of your thoughts on this one! So thank you for reviewing and I hope you review again! Thank you! xx**


	3. Chapter 3

It didn't take long for them to reach the hospital. Outside there was an ambulance and a number of police cars, their red and blue lights flickering rapidly in the darkness. He saw the paramedics unloading a stretcher from the back of the ambulance in a hurry. The body was covered in a thick blanket and another paramedic was holding an oxygen mask over the figures' face.

Before Caroline could pull the car to a stop, Klaus had pushed open the door and was sprinting towards the paramedics. The red and blue flashing lights blinding him and the heavy winds whipped at his face. He pushed past the quickly forming crowds, shoving people from his way if they dared to block him. All he could focus on was the blanket covered body. Familiar black hair fluttered in the strong winds and those blue eyes were closed.

He wasn't dead, was he? No. if that was the case, his face would be covered or he'd be in a body bag. Oh God! And he had an oxygen mask on… That had to mean something right? But what had happened? Knife wound? Bullet wound? Trauma to the head? All three? Multiple wounds? Thoughts raced through Klaus's mind, clouding all judgement –

And then black obscured his vision. He struggled against the grip and tried to push the body away. But strong hands held him fast. "Sir, you need to calm down! Calm down, or I'll be forced to restrain you."

"That's my boyfriend, on that stretcher!" he struggled again as the officer – he assumed it was an officer, who else could it be? – restrained him once more.

"Please, sir, calm down. You can't do nothing for him, not yet. Let the doctors do their work!"

"I swear to God if you tell me to calm down one more time!"

"You're causing a scene! He's been taken to surgery. You need to calm down."

"You expect me to calm down when he's going to surgery? Are you mad?"

**Second Chance**

Klaus sat in one of the uncomfortable blue chairs in the waiting room. Caroline had gone off to get two hot chocolates, leaving him alone for five minutes. He couldn't believe it. Everything that morning had been just fine! It had been more than fine! They'd had their usual banter and Damon had left for work as usual. Everything had been fine!

And then Damon had received that fucking phone call!

And while he had been away, all Klaus could do was play _Angry Birds_! He felt his hands clench into fists and he sat tense in the chair. He'd been this way for the past hour. Nothing had changed. At first he had looked around the waiting room. Then he had read all the poster. Then he's read them again. Then he'd memorised all the reasons to quit smoking. And now he was staring at the poster in front of him – something about donating blood- but he wasn't seeing it. With his panic, everything had blurred into one.

He couldn't even remember the last time he had blinked.

Images flashed through his mind, replacing the waiting room around him with more horrific scenes; scenes that made him shut his eyes to stop the tears. Damon's pale form on the stretcher, beautiful face covered by an oxygen mask. Klaus swallowed thickly and allowed his head to rest on the wall behind him. Teeth sank into his bottom lip as he tried to stop the tears that prickled behind his eyelids but this…this was… He couldn't even think about it.

Everything had been going fine! They were taking it slow, just as Damon had wanted. Nothing had gone wrong. And now…now he wasn't even allowed to see Damon because of the operation. No one had even told him what had happened.

**Second Chance**

"Sir, I need you to sit down."

Klaus sat down, eyes focussed on his hands. They were clasped together in his lap. He had never prayed so much. Ironic how he'd never believed in God until now.

"Damon is in critical condition."

It looked like the prayers hadn't worked.

"He's experienced extreme chest trauma."

No. They really hadn't fucking worked.

"The operation was a success. But there's no guarantee."

Stupid fucking doctor. The fake sadness. The empty sympathy. It was almost mocking.

"The risk of infection is high."

Then do your fucking job! You're a doctor, you should be able to stop it! Klaus had stared at the white, hygienic walls for too long.

"What happened to him?" He'd finally found his voice. It was rough and croaky. He hadn't drank in God knows how many hours. The hot chocolate from Caroline was cold and full to the brim. He hadn't even held it.

"What happened to him?" he repeated. Stupid doctor. How could they be so smart and not be able to answer a single, simple question?

"Multiple stab wounds to his chest."

Klaus had been right not to believe in a religion. His Damon. The Damon he'd changed everything for…

"He had a punctured lung…"

Klaus didn't bother to listen to the rest. He'd heard enough.

**Second Chance**

Stefan had also, sadly, been informed. Klaus had watched him from Damon's bedside. The younger Salvatore had pushed his way through the hospital, apologising to anyone he barged into. When he'd seen Klaus, he'd jogged forward, face impassive and showing no emotion.

As Stefan neared the hospital bed, Klaus stood up to greet him. For a moment both stood opposite each other, eyeing the other warily. When Klaus rested a hand on Damon's shoulder, he saw Stefan's fists clench. He almost smirked. Clearly, even now, Stefan didn't trust him.

It took a few more seconds before Stefan cleared his throat and finally glanced towards Damon. His gaze flickered over his brother's face and body briefly before settling back on Klaus. "I heard what happened."

"Good. Saves me having to waste time telling you."

There was more awkward silence. Out of habit, Klaus allowed his gaze to move to Damon's face, silently praying for any improvement. Would the twitch of an eyelid be too much to ask?

"How did it happen?"

"He gave his bulletproof vest to someone else." Was all Klaus said, though the words chocked him as he spoke.

Stefan nodded and looked around the white hospital room. His hands were now in his pockets and he rocked back and forth on his heels.

An uncomfortable fifteen minutes dragged by while Klaus and Stefan continued to watch Damon for any chance of improvement.

Sometime after that, Stefan had left and Klaus didn't notice.

**Second Chance**

Tubes snaked over Damon's body. So covered in medical gear, Klaus could hardly see the body that he'd grown to love so much. The annoying beeping of the heart monitor had faded into the background after he'd become accustomed to it. Though that had taken its time. The first time he'd seen the thing he'd gone weak at the knees as reality set in once more. This was Damon. His Damon. On the bed, not moving with tubes snaking in and out of his body.

Klaus had given up on praying. Instead he sat religiously by Damon's bed side in one of the hard, blue leather chairs. The first night he'd stayed he'd woken with a stiff neck to one of the nurses lightly tapping his shoulder only to tell him that "it was ok to leave," because Damon wouldn't be waking up for a while. The glare he'd given her must have been enough because none of the nurses said anything to him afterwards. As time passed he'd grown accustomed to the chair and though his body still ached it didn't matter. Because he was still able to see Damon as soon as he woke up.

But it was the worst thing too. Every time he opened his eyes Klaus would cross his fingers, and hope, as he opened his eyes slowly (his excuse being that it would give Damon more time to wake, but in reality it was to prolong the heartache when he saw that Damon was still unconscious) that Damon would be awake, those blue eyes staring back at him.

It never happened.

**Second Chance**

It was on the fifth day that Caroline had dragged Klaus away from Damon's bedside. When he'd pulled away from her, she'd slapped him and retorted that he "needed to clean up otherwise Damon would go unconscious at the sight of him." After that he hadn't argued. Just allowed her to bundle him into her car and drive silently back to Damon's apartment to pick up a few things.

"Do you mind waiting in the car?" Klaus asked as Caroline pulled up outside the block of apartments. "There's some stuff I need to do." He didn't wait for her to answer, only threw open the car door and jogged towards the block of apartments.

Moments later, the door to Damon's apartment swung open with a small squeak. Klaus froze in the doorway, his eyes skimming over the apartment. The newspaper was still open on the sporting section. There was still Damon's bowl of cereal – cornflakes – and his Latte coffee beside the bowl. The iPod, the one with _Angry Birds_ on it, was left on the kitchen table, the ear phones still tangled around it.

He walked through the apartment in a daze, everything around him seeming to blur together like a ruined oil painting. Damon's aftershave still hung in the air. And then, in the kitchen sink, he saw the washing up that had been left.

Klaus' knees buckled beneath him and he slid down the wall with his head in his hands. He still couldn't believe it. Everything had been ok. It had been more than ok. And now…because of Damon's own good will it had all gone to ruin.

Damon's good will. When Sheriff Forbes had come to the hospital, she had explained what had happened. Apparently one of the younger offices, his first time out, had forgotten his bullet proof vest. Damon had lent him his own. When it had turned violent Damon had been left unprotected, and had been shot in the chest three times, one of the bullets puncturing his lung.

His hands clenched in his dirty blonde hair as he pulled at his roots in distress. What if Damon wouldn't be ok? What if the doctor was right and an infection occurred? What if there were more complications?

He didn't know what he'd do if anything happened to Damon.

**Second Chance**

A few days later, Klaus had willingly left Damon's side. He needed to. Otherwise he was going to go insane with the hoping and disappointment. A cool breeze helped to feel more awake and he walked slowly, taking in the large grey buildings and the small yet beautiful green parks. God it was nice to be out. Even though he felt guilty for leaving Damon at the hospital.

Before he'd left, Klaus had asked the nurses if there was any chance of Damon waking in the near future. When they'd said no, he'd nodded and told them to phone him if anything changed, truth be told, they seemed to be glad to be rid of him.

Trapped in his own thoughts, Klaus never realised where he was walking. The houses around him became darker and soot covered them. A gloomy atmosphere lingered over his head and the brightness of the previous parks failed to lighten the area. There were a few run down and beaten cars along the road side. A garbage bin was tipped on its side and a black and white stray cat was clawing through the remains.

This was the street where he used to live. Klaus still hadn't sold his old apartment; the main reason being that he hadn't believed that Damon would accept him back. He continued to walk, unable to stop his feet from walking him through past memories. Klaus knew this route like the back of his hand. Before moving in with Caroline he would have walked this way when coming back from Tesco. He'd have minimal things in the shopping bag, mainly bread and butter. The more money he had saved on food, the more he could spend on the cocaine.

Klaus shuddered as the memories assaulted him.

After dropping the food off at his apartment, Klaus would pull on his worn and tattered coat. The one with the pocket in the lining. And then he'd walk slowly, head down as to not attract attention, until he reached the second corner on the right.

When he turned the corner, it was exactly the same as in his memories. It was an old industrial site. One of London's many dumping grounds where the waste from the city was dumped in grey ashes. It was a solemn site. Especially when the large yellow skips were the only colour in the bland land scape.

Among the rubble, a woman was sat on a crumbling wall. Her designer leather jacket and skinny jeans didn't fit in with the ashes around her. Neither did her stylish curly brown hair and manicured fingernails. Before Klaus even saw her face, he recognised her instantly.

Katherine Pierce. The local drug supplier. Klaus used the term "local" lightly, He knew from conversations with a variety of people that she controlled a large network of people with shipments of new drugs coming through the docks every fortnight. It was unusual for someone such as Katherine, someone with such high power and status to be selling the drugs. Usually they had underbodies who would do that. But no. Klaus knew her well enough to know that she loved to taunt and tease and remind those who were hooked about the new drugs she had. About all the relief from the suffering that the drugs could give them.

After Elijah's death, it was Katherine that had introduced him to the drugs. She'd advertised them with a selling technique only the best could hope to master. She'd told him that they were harmless; that they wouldn't get him hooked. Instead it would provide relief and a high he hadn't felt in months. Of course Klaus had known it all to be bull shit. But he'd been too wrapped up in his own grief to notice that he was handing over money in return for a packet of white powder.

"Ah, Klaus! It has been a while since I've seen you around here. I'd started to think you'd forgotten about me," Katherine said as Klaus walked closer, his hands beginning to twitch in his coat pockets.

"I moved away, that's why," he said quietly though his eyes locked with Katherine's for the first time in a long while. When he had been in his drug induced stupor. "I don't live around here anymore."

"Oh that's a shame. So why are you in the area again? Couldn't find a supplier as good as me, right?" Katherine ran a hand through her curls, making them bounce with every movement. She moved on the wall, crossing her legs at her ankles to give a pose that would appear casual and relaxed to any passer-by.

"I'm just passing through. I needed to clear my head a little." He glanced back towards the main street. In the past the police had cruised up and down that street, looking for anyone who supplied or was being supplied. He looked back to Katherine and shrugged. "I don't need them. I've been clean for over a year."

"Oh," she seemed surprised at his statement but quickly schooled her features back into a blank mask. "Girlfriend troubles?"

"Boyfriend."

"I could offer you a little relief if you want? You know better than anyone else what this could offer you." She reached into the lining in her leather jacket and produced a small white plastic bag. Inside it was the usual white powder. "Special discount for my loyal customer." She smirked and held the bag out, forefinger and thumb pinching it in the corner.

"I said I'm clean," Klaus said quickly, taking a step back.

"And you can still be clean after this," Katherine murmured quietly, her voice tempting and smooth as if offering all the riches in the world. "It's just a little bit. Just a tiny bit and then you can be free from your troubles – just for a little while. Your boyfriend will never have to know."

The little bag swayed in the slight breeze. Katherine was right. Klaus knew she was. A little of that power and all his troubles would melt away into a fuzzy little buzz. Nothing around him would be able to penetrate that little world, instead it would just be him floating in harmony uncaring about everything around him.

What if Damon woke up? Another part of him argued. What if Damon woke up and saw that he was high? Surely he would leave Klaus then? But the nurses had said that Damon was ready to wake yet. That it would be another couple of days at least. That would be plenty of time for him to come down from his high and Damon would be none the wiser…

Just a little relief. Just a little. It would be enough to release him from his stress. It would allow him to relax and calm his racing heart. When he saw Damon, eyes still closed, it would numb the stinging disappointment and heart ache he felt.

He reached out with a shaking hand.

**Hey up! So glad you liked the last chapter! I hope you liked this one as well! Please note, once again I'm inexperienced with many of the things this story deals with. I don't know the procedures that would come with Damon's injuries so I've researched it a little and I hope that it all seems realistic. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter as well and all reviews an comments are always appreciated cause I love to hear your thoughts!**

**Thanks once again, The Nutty One :D xx**


	4. Chapter 4

Klaus' hand covered Katherine's. The edges of the small bag scraped teasingly across the palm of his hand. He could feel the weight of the powder, in his hand; such a small amount that could send all his progress backpedalling if he wasn't careful. And he could lose Damon. This less than innocent powder could take Damon away from him.

He clenched his hand around Katherine's smaller fist and pushed the bag back towards her. "I don't need it."

If Katherine was surprised, she didn't show it. Instead she moved her hand away from Klaus' and put the plastic bag back into her jacket pocket. "You know where I am if you need me."

And that was it. Without so much of a goodbye, not that Klaus wanted one, Katherine dismissed him. It became clear to him then that she had never cared for him. His illusion over her had been broken. When in a drug induced haze he'd created the ideal illusion: that she cared for him, not a romantic way, no, never that way, but on some kind of strange bizarre level and that he would be the only one that she supplied drugs to.

With a smile on his face, Klaus turned away from her. His shoes crunched on the turned up road and this time, there was a spring in his step that hadn't been there before. He'd managed it. Without Caroline's help and without Damon's help. He'd turned the drugs down. Just thinking of their disappointment had made him turn the small plastic bag away. No longer would inanimate white powder cause him to lose control over his life…

**Second Chance**

Once back at the hospital, Klaus took a detour through to the hospital's canteen. He picked up a chocolate chip muffin, paid for it and on the way out, swiped a white serviette; using the excuse that he would need it for the muffin.

All the while, he was grinning like an idiot.

**Second Chance**

For the first time since Damon had been injured and hospitalized, Klaus hoped that he hadn't woken up. It was an awful thought, one that he soon berated himself for having, but he needed Damon to sleep for this to work. If he woke up, then it would all go to waste.

Placing the half eaten muffin on the plastic table at the foot of the bed, Klaus tore a thin strip from the serviette. Out of his eye corner he saw one of the nurses coming in to check on Damon. He flashed her a smile and she came over.

"How if he today? Have you noticed any changes?" The nurse began, as she always did. When Klaus shook his head, she smiled in sympathy. "With the smile you gave me I thought there may have been some improvement."

She continued to take Damon's vitals and check that everything was in working order. Once it was all done, she unhooked the chart at the bottom of the bed. In barely legible hand writing, she scrawled down a few quick notes before clicking her pen away.

"About the smile," Klaus began as he eyed the blue pen in her pocket. "I was just wondering if I could borrow your pen. I'll only take a few moments."

Her brown eyes betrayed her calm unflustered face. Her curiosity was all too obvious. She handed Klaus the pen silently before moving out of the way as he walked around to the left hand side of the bed. Gently, he picked up Damon's left hand from where it lay on top of the pristine sheets.

Taking the torn strip of serviette, Klaus wrapped it around Damon's ring finger. With a quick flick off the pen, he made a small mark on the paper.

"Thanks," he said as he placed Damon's hand back on the covers and handed the nurse her pen back. She was smiling and a light blush had risen on her cheeks.

"No problem. I hope I'm not being too forward, but I think you make a lovely couple."

And that was it. She walked away with a final smile, a slight spring in her step as she disappeared through the double doors.

**Second Chance**

Even when he returned to Damon's apartment, nothing could affect his happy mood. He moved swiftly through the building, stripping himself of his clothing before having a quick five minute shower. After that, he shaved (for the first time in a week – it was nice to be able to feel his skin again) and redressed in blue jeans and a dark navy blue shirt. It was one of Damon's favourite shirts. _'The Sex Shirt_' they'd nicknamed it after it had barely survived one of their more adventurous couplings.

Today, of all days, required such a shirt. Despite the obvious, today was a good day. Klaus could feel it in the pit of his stomach.

On his way out, he grabbed the keys to Damon's 1969 Chevy Camaro and the thin serviette with the blue pen mark. He shoved both in his jean pocket.

The drive to the shopping centre didn't take long. There was barely any traffic on the roads and thankfully, no police. When he arrived, he had only just locked the car before taking he keys out and jogging up the remaining way to the shopping centre.

He could remember the basic layout of the centre from when Caroline had brought him shopping for new clothes. All the clothing shops were near the front of the shopping centre, while the shops Klaus was after were located further back. He took his time navigating through the crowds – part of him glad to be in a normal environment where no one would give him looks of pity or pain.

The shop stood out from all the rest. A variety of rocks (Lapis Lazuli, Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald and most importantly, Diamond) shone from the window display. The employees stood along the back wall, dressed smartly in black and white, their eyes following the few people around the store.

"Excuse me, sir, how can I help you?"

**Second Chance**

He returned to the hospital with an unexpected urgency. Surprisingly, it had nothing to do with the black velvet box that was nestled securely in his jacket pocket.

The car journey took too long despite the clear roads. Parking the car took too long even though he found a space not ten meters from the hospital. All the nurses in the corridors were walking too slowly despite no one being in front of him. The corridors stretched on forever despite Damon being in the first room on the right.

When he opened the double doors, Klaus was met with the same sight as always. Damon with his eyes closed, his body unmoving. Despite that, Klaus didn't allow the sight to dishearten him. Damon would wake when he was ready. He always did. Even before the accident it was always Klaus who would wake first and nothing would wake Damon up if he didn't want to wake up.

Just as he was about to reach for the newspaper on the table, Klaus saw Damon's hand twitch. His heart soared but he attempted to squash the feeling down before it gave him too much hope. It could just be a muscle twitch. It didn't mean anything. But it could signal Damon waking up again… And that was it, his hopes were soaring and Klaus found himself watching Damon's hand for more movement.

The tendons under Damon's hand twitched again and he saw the pale veins moving beneath the skin. And then it was there. Damon's finger twitched once more. It was barely any movement but it was there! A small twitch, the only movement that had happened in the entire three weeks that Damon had been hospitalised.

He was waking up! And Klaus hadn't imagined it!

"Damon, love. Can you hear me? You don't have to open your eyes, don't strain yourself; just let me know that you're ok. That's all I want. I love you, you know that? I never stopped, and I've got a surprise for you when you wake. But I'll show you it when you're ready…." Klaus trailed off, aware that he was talking unnecessarily.

Through his talking, Klaus almost missed the furrowing of Damon's eyebrows as he frowned. There was movement behind his closed eyelids as well. For once Klaus didn't hate the harsh fluorescent lighting. It allowed him to watch Damon's eyes flickering behind his eyelids….

After three of waiting, would he finally be able to see those blue eyes that he'd missed so much?

As he watched, Klaus reached for Damon's hand before running his thumb gently over the skin in encouragement. "Come on, love. That's it, you're almost there." There was another frown on Damon's face and his eyelids twitched. "Open your eyes, Damon. You can do this, don't leave me here like this." Klaus had been told by the nurses that sometimes coma patients could hear things around them. He only hoped Damon could.

There was another flicker of his eyelids before Damon's eyes opened slowly. Joy exploded in Klaus' chest and he had to stop himself from pulling Damon to him or just collapsing on top of his lover. He was here! Damon was ok! By God he was ok! Salty tears threatened to spill over as Klaus' hands began to shake in wonder and amazement. He was ok! By god he was alive and breathing and his eyes were open! By God he was ok!

But there was something wrong. Instead of looking towards Klaus, Damon took his hand slowly away from Klaus and brought it to his chest. The frown on his face deepened and Klaus watched as confusion filled Damon's eyes. "Damon, love, it's ok," Klaus reassured but it didn't do much.

Damon's hands shook with his confusion. He looked at the wires that decorated his body and tugged weakly at them. When Klaus attempted to stop him, Damon flinched wildly. His blue eyes were wide with confusion and tears filled them. The last straw came when Damon's breathing increased to near hyperventilation.

Grasping the red chord in his hand, Klaus pulled it roughly to alert the nurses. Immediately after, Klaus returned his attention back towards Damon. "Shh, Damon, shh. You're ok, you're just in the hospital."

But no attempts to calm him worked. Damon appeared agitated and he moved weakly in the sheets, tangling them around his lower body. His hands tugged on the wires decorating his body and tears spilled from his eyes. Klaus had never seen him look so confused or upset. And even when he reached out towards him, Damon would flinch and pull back.

Eventually the nurse arrived with a sedative. Klaus moved back with tears in his eyes as Damon watched the nurse with a growing fear in his eyes. She administered the sedative quickly and coldly, uncaring when Damon would flinch and hyperventilate. She removed the needle easily when the syringe was empty. Before she had even put the syringe away, Damon's eyes were slipping shut once more.

"What happened?" Klaus asked, choking back his tears. It wasn't supposed to be this way, Damon should have woken slowly and be happy. The confusion Klaus had anticipated. But the fear and tears? And the agitation? It wasn't supposed to be that way! It was supposed to be a happy moment for them both! He was supposed to show Damon the surprise he had!

Now, the black velvet box felt like a lead weight in his pocket.

"He was coming out of his coma," the nurse began softly. Now that her job was done she was calmer and the cold look had left her eyes. "It's normal for patients to be agitated and fearful. They're waking in a place where they can't remember getting to."

When the nurse left, Klaus collapsed back into the chair and cried.

**Second Chance**

The more Damon woke up, the easier it got. The nurse had been right. Once Klaus had explained everything to Damon he'd nodded slowly and accepted it. He's even apologised for his behaviour which had made Klaus nearly tear his hair out. He'd tried to stop Damon from speaking so he wouldn't apologise, but he'd seen the tears in his lover's eyes and he knew then that Damon needed to say it.

So he'd let him. It was just two words "_I'm sorry"_ but Klaus knew what Damon was saying. He was sorry for his reaction when he woke. Sorry for being in a coma for three weeks. Sorry for not being there when Klaus needed him. Sorry for giving his bullet proof vest to another police officer. He was sorry for everything.

But Klaus didn't blame him.

A week of scans and more tests and the doctors had said Damon was free to leave. Klaus had never been so grateful. The two of them had walked gingerly to the car, Klaus keeping his arm around Damon's waist for support. He'd insisted it after Damon had first attempted to stand, only to stumble back onto the bed.

Two week later and Damon was moving around the house, building up the strength that he'd lost. In that time, neither had mentioned that accident and it appeared that it would remain that way. Both silently agreed that it would be for the best.

The night Damon had come home, the two had lain in bed, Klaus spooning Damon from behind. His hands ghosted over the fresh scars on Damon's torso. When Damon had stopped him, Klaus had through he had taken things too far. But Damon had only said that he didn't wish to be remembered, and that soon, when his body was fully recovered, they would cover the old memories of the scars with new and better ones.

That was a week after Damon had come home. Klaus had made sweet love to him, their movements slow and steady as they reacquainted themselves with each other's body. Damon's soft moans filled their bedroom as Klaus rocked into his gently until both whispered their love for each other as they climaxed.

All that was a month ago and now everything seemed perfect. Damon was still on leave from work and Klaus had taken time off to ensure that Damon didn't strain himself too much. It was only when he was heading out to get the groceries, that he felt the black velvet box in his pocket. A small, nervous smile lit up his face as he took the box from his pocket and hung his jacket back up.

He made his way through to the living room where Damon had his feet up on the couch while he played _Angry Birds _on his iPod. Once in the room, Klaus cleared his throat and Damon paused his game to look up.

When he looked at Klaus, the iPod fell from his hands, landing with a clunk on the floor.

Klaus was down on one knee with his hand shaking as he held the black velvet box open for Damon's inspection. He swallowed thickly before asking, "Damn Salvatore, will you marry me?"

**Hey up! Sorry for the wait and the cliff hanger on the last chapter! Hope this cliff hanger isn't too bad ;D Loved your reviews for the last chapter and I appreciate every single one of them! I would love to know what you think of this chapter and all the names you're probably calling me for ending it so suddenly ;D Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks in advance for any reviews!**

**The Nutty One :D xx**


	5. Chapter 5

Epilogue

Sunlight streamed through the small parting in the curtains, casting a glow over Klaus' face which made his frown and grumble. Slowly, he opened his eyes while using a hand to shield himself from the worst of the sunlight. The gold band on his ring finger reflected the light, casting dancing flecks across the walls. He glanced down to see Damon's head on his chest, the back curls of his hair masking his face.

It had been two years since the incident that had rendered Damon in a coma. Not a day went by that Klaus wasn't grateful to the hospital and his lucky stars. It had taken a few more weeks for Damon to fully recover and in that time Klaus had done everything he could to make him comfortable. In the end, Damon had felt suffocated and sent him to Caroline's for a few days. After walking in on her and Stefan, it was a few days that had scarred Klaus for the rest of his life.

After the first year of living together, Damon had brought up the subject of children. Before that conversation, the thought had never entered Klaus' mind, but it became apparent how much Damon wanted children. So in the end, after looking down all paths, they had decided to adopt. And that was how Alaric had come into their lives.

Alaric had helped them in many ways. He provided a distraction for Damon because the thoughts of his attack still lingered in his mind. And he helped Klaus because it made him realise that he had responsibility; and he'd be damned if he was going to ruin Alaric's upbringing like his own parent's had done to his. It had also helped them realise that it wasn't just the two of them to look after. And they loved him. Even after Alaric had found the lube, squirted it around their bedroom and asked Daddy Damon "what's this? Can I have some?"

Damon's movements brought Klaus out of his thoughts. He'd twisted in bed, his head now on the pillow but with a prominent erection pressed against Klaus' hip. With a smirk on his face, Klaus moved away from Damon and moved under the covers. As he had done on many occasions before, Klaus thanked his lucky stars that Damon often went without underwear.

He ran his hand gently over Damon's cock, watching with some amusement as Damon unconsciously moved his hips towards his hand. With a few more strokes, Damon was fully erect in his hand and short moans came from his parted lips. God, he was so perfect like this; hair tousled by sleep, body relaxed against the mattress – the only thing missing was the way Damon would look at his, bright blue eyes sparkling with lust, love and passion.

Klaus moved closer to Damon's cock before taking it into his mouth, his lips closing around the head of Damon's cock. That action alone made Damon moan loudly and he fought against sleep as his eyes fluttered open. "Klaus – what are?"

He was cut off by his own stuttered breathing as Klaus began to move his mouth up and down Damon's cock, taking in an inch at a time. Blue eyes looked down at him, still clouded with sleep but lust was quickly filling them. A lazy hand found its way into Klaus' hair, Damon's fingers resting amongst blonde hair.

Swirling his tongue around the head of Damon's cock caused his lover to flex his hips off the bed, and his chest rose and fell with his uneven breathing. Klaus knew Damon wouldn't last long. He never did when taken by surprise, not that Klaus cared. The most rewarding thing about this was watching Damon fall apart beneath him. He would throw his head back into the pillow, exposing his throat (which only four days previously showed the red marks of their love making) and his blue eyes would shut for the briefest of moments before he opened them once more to lock eyes with his lover.

"Papa! Papa! Look what I found! What are you doing?"

The look of lust and passion that should have been on Damon's face was now replaced with a look of pure horror and the blush on his cheeks melted away to reveal a pale pallor.

"Alaric!" Damon shouted breathlessly, hastily pushing Klaus away while pulling the covers up to hide their bodies.

"What were you doing to Daddy, Papa?" Alaric asked, his blonde hair messed with sleep and his _Toy Story _pyjamas crumpled. In his hand was a wooden train.

Klaus bit back a groan as Damon quickly shut his legs, one of his knees colliding with Klaus' hip. He looked towards Damon for help but the other refused to look at him, only whispering back: "he said Papa! You're Papa! I'm Daddy, you deal with it."

Klaus' eyes widened in shock. Shouldn't Damon be helping him in this situation? Instead Damon had rolled onto his side and pulled a pillow over his face to hide his mortification.

"Err…Erm…" he stuttered for an explanation while Alaric looked at him expectantly in only a way that toddlers could look. "Daddy and I, we were wrestling."

Beneath the pillow, Damon snorted.

Alaric's eyes lit up with excitement. "Can I join in?"

**Hey up! So this is it, the end of Second Chance! I know it's short but I felt like it was best otherwise I might have added more drama to carry on the story. I really love these two together (if anyone knows any good Klaus/Damon stories, can you droop the in a review?) and I'm disappointed that this is over but I felt it right to end it now. I'd love to know your opinions of the story as a whole and what you thought of the epilogue (getting caught has to be ever parent's worst nightmare!)**

** Thank you for all the reviews, favourites and alerts! And if anyone has any other ideas for Klaus/Damon fics I'd love to know them. **

**Love you a bunch, The Nutty One xx**


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